Implement for exercising



Jan. 1925- 1,524,196

J. L. MATTHEWS IMPLEMENT FOR EXERCISING Fild Dec, 29, 1925 f INVENTOR M I Zafl' 74 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 27, 1925.

UN! TiEIDI OFFICE.

J'OSEPHL. MATTHEWfiDF HIGHLAND PARK; NEW JERSEY.

IMPLEMENTFOR- EXERCISE-HG.

Application filed December 29,1923; Serial No. 683,280.

To all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr L. lVIATTI-IEWS,

a citizen of the United States, residingnin.

tirely diffcrentfrom that derived from other mechanicalmeansand is designed primarily for use by golfers.- Understanding. that the inventionis not to be (limited in respect to the useto which it is put it will, nevertheless, bedescribed herein 1 for convenience asaembodied in -,.-a device which will insure to golfers a simulation of conditions surrounding the'swing of a golf club and, according- 1y, insure a maintenance of. suchmuscular activity as is requisite for satisfactory play.

A golf club of given weightland length propelled by the energy impressed thereon byi a particular player andswung through anparc-whose centeris- -theoretically the left sponsive,- a condition which can be obtained and maintained only .by' constant practice.

The average golfer finds it impossible because of limitations on his timeto devote such practice to the game aswill insure the bestresults. and he'finds, particularly in winter. that entire lack of practice and exerciseapermits-his muscles (through disuse, to grow unresponsive and undependable. It becomes desirable, therefore, to provide an exercising implement which will not only satisfy the demands of non-golfers for a beneficial and interesting exercise but will particularly supply for golfers that need for constant practice and the regular use of the golfing muscles. To satisfy this demand the improved device comprises an abbreviated staff of such weight and length as will best suit the user. Since the exerciser will ordinarily be used indoors and, more particularly, within the narrow confines of an ordinary household room. it is proposed to make its length such as to obtain that manya freedom for full swing. without the jeopardy of contact :with other objects in andabout the room. The staff as thus-pros vidcd may for convenience be tapered slightly and formed with a suitable surface to facilitate gripping. W hen designed particu larly for use by golfers the .staifwill, in

addition, beweightcd and itscenterof mass so disposed as 'to insure ,for-a particular player thecreation. of approximately the sameenergy taking. into account the shorter length. assis createdby that player whenswinging a standard golf club of typical weight and length.

The. inventionwill: be described with greater particularity hereinafter with reference -to .the preferred embodlment shown in the drawings, whereln:

Figure, l is aschematic view showing one of the improved implements as grasped by the two hands of the user: andthe factors taken into account in creating the same conditions surrounding its use as are found when the user swings a club of conventional form.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of-the preferred form of exerciser.

As pointed out hereinbefore. it is believed that the exerciser will make its widest appeal to golfers becauseof the fact that with it they are able to simulate conditions of swinging a golf club and it is for this reason that such an embodiment is illustrated in the drawings and will be described in some detail herein but it is to be understood that a non-golfer may obtain an interesting; and beneficial. exercise by its use.

InF'igure -1 of the drawingsthere is indicated what is' called the center of motion about which it may be supposed that the arms swing; with a standard golf; club. Such a point. theoretically, is located at the leftshoulder of the player. A standard golf club a when grasped by the hands of the player is swung about this center of motion and the energy of its impact with the ball for a particular player is dependent upon the distance R of the center of gravity of the club from the center of motion and upon the weight of the club. In creating a given energy at the instant of impact a player has brought into use many muscles which properly co-ordinated insure effective timing of the swing and maximum distance and accuracy. By means of the improved device illustrated generally at Y) it is proposed to place in the hands of a golfer an implement which may be used in quarters of limited space and yet create for him the precise conditions attendant upon the swinging of a standard club. In thus simulating conditions the implement Z) is preferably so designed as to bring its center of gravity 5 in proximity to the hands of the user but below the grip. This may best be done by forming the staff I) hollow as indicated at b for a substantial distance and weighting the end as by means of the mass Z2 which itself may assume any form without departing from the invention. It has been found, however, that a generally spheroidal form has the least tendency to distract the attention of the user. Having thus located the center 5' of gravity of the device when it is held in the hands of the user it is evident that this center of gravity will swing about the center of motion on a radius 1". For a given user the weight required to, simulate conditions found in swinging a club such as a varies inversely as the square of the radii, that is, the theoretically correct weight of the implement=(r where 'W is the weight of a of; ball is secured and by simple proportion I determining the angular velocity of the shorter exerciser and its necessary weight toigive, at such velocity the same energy when manipulated by the same user.

Considering now some'of the details of the-device which are important in contributing to its proper use it will be noticed that the-part which is to be grasped may be tapered and the surface formed with convenient grip as through serrations b. The grip thus afforded is substantially like that of a standard club. l/Vhen properly grasped the hands may be given the correct position along the staff and an address made with the proper stance to the end that the swing with the implement in hand may wholly simulate the conditions surrounding the swing of a club and the same energy be created thereby. The limbs, wrists and body are all employed in precisely the way conducive to a proper golf swing and are stressed to the same extent. All of the muscles both major and minor which contribute to a satisfactory swing for distance and accuracy are brought into play by the improved exerciser and thereby n'iaintained in a responsive condition at all times. The danger attendant upon the swinging of a golf club within the confines of an ordinary household room are eliminated and the user is enabled to take full free swings without reservation but with the same effect as induced in the swinging of a golf club.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in respect to size, shape or weight since it may be varied within wide limits to suit conditions of strength. height and other physical characteristics of different persons.

What I claim is:

1.An exercising implement for use in simulating the conditions of a golf swing within a space of limited confines eomprising a short stali having an abbreviated grip for the hands and a prcdcterminml weight and a center of gravity located at a preih termined point.

2. An implement for use in simulating the conditions of a golf swing comprising a short staff having a grip for the hands and a weight which is substantially equal to the weight of a standard golf club divided by the square of the radius of motion of the center of gravity of the dcvice divided by the radius of motion of the center of gravity of a standard club.

This specification signed this 27th day of December, A. D. 1923.

JOSEPH L. MAFIHEWS. 

